Cannot execute ls command in docker

Question

I'm trying to use docker compose to run my services. But for some reason I'm not able to call e.g. this command 'ls -la /home'. It gives me an error:

Cannot start service test: failed to create shim task: OCI runtime create failed: runc >create failed: unable to start container process: exec: "ls /home": stat ls /home: no such >file or directory: unknown

whereas when I use just 'ls' then I see all the directories... what's wrong?

Below is my docker-compose file:

version: "3"
services:
  mqtt_broker:
    build:
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
      context: ./
    network_mode: host
  test:
    depends_on: [ mqtt_broker ]
    image: ubuntu:22.04
    command:
      - ls -la /home
    network_mode: host

Mendhak · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-29 14:43:31Z

2

Enclose your command with the array notation (just like in Dockerfiles), so that it is properly joined together as one, instead of different parts being interpreted separately.

command: [ "ls", "-la", "/home" ]

To run multiple commands,

command: ["/bin/bash", "-c", "ls -lah; whoami; hostname"]

But as the comments pointed out, as this increases complexity, consider running a script instead.

edited Sep 29, 2022 at 14:43

answered Sep 28, 2022 at 20:45

Mendhak

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4 Comments

bielu000 Over a year ago

You're right... Is there a way to let's say separate this commands? Suppose that I would like to call two commands, first: chmod +x /home/my-exe and then /home/my_exe --opt. When I put all this "parts" of my command in the array, then it says: chmod: unrecognized option --opt

Charles Duffy Over a year ago

@bielu000, if you want a command that can run multiple other commands, that's what shells are for.

David Maze Over a year ago

You could also RUN chmod ... in your Dockerfile, so that you don't need to repeat that setup step every time you run a new container.

Mendhak Over a year ago

@bielu000you could wrap it in a bash. command: ["/bin/bash", "-c", "ls -lah; whoami; hostname"] but the other comment is right, if you're venturing into multiple commands, consider running a script.

KamilCuk · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-28 20:44:37Z

1

There is no command "ls -la /home". There is command ls that takes -la argument and /home argument.

command:
  - ls
  - "-la"
  - /home

Or alternatively, docker-compose will do the splitting if you pass a string instead of an array (consult YAML specification):

command: "ls -la /home"

Or just:

command: ls -la /home

answered Sep 28, 2022 at 20:44

KamilCuk

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Comments

Paul Back · Accepted Answer · 2022-09-28 20:44:04Z

-1

It might be a missing $PATH problem -- does the following work?

command:
  - /bin/ls -la /home

answered Sep 28, 2022 at 20:44

Paul Back

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1 Comment

Charles Duffy Over a year ago

This is trying to run an executable named home in a directory named ls -la (plus a space on the end) that is itself a subdirectory of /bin

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